Being one of the two oldest residence halls on campus, North Hall has a lot to compete with. In terms of upperclassmen housing, North Hall seems to be the neglected, out liar.

Among students, North and Martin Hall are not held to the same stature as Elm and Alumni Hall. This is mostly due to the newness of the buildings with suites and central air, as opposed to the communal bathrooms of the older halls among other conditions concerning the humidity.  

Martin Hall, located adjacent to North, is very similar in infrastructure. While looking almost identical inside, Martin has a few more elements that make it more appealing to students. The first is Pace Perk, the late-night dining option on campus, which is located on the lower level of the building. The second is the renovated windows and air conditioners that have just been put in aiding in prohibiting the spread of one of the most prevalent problems in the older residence halls; mold.

“I decided to move into North Hall and I was greeted by black mold on the wall. I submitted a complaint to the help desk for the dorms and they had it cleaned out within the day”, North Hall resident Diego Mallens said. “North definitely has a pretty bad reputation on campus because even compared to the other building that is supposed to be of the same quality as it, it loses.” 

Resident Director Ray White is hoping to make major changes in the upcoming years to bring the good reputation and community feeling back to North Hall. In fact, plans are already in motion. 

“This summer we should be getting the same updates that Martin has. So, we will not only be caught up to them but will also be looking at some future projects. We can start doing some quality of life things like the townhouses have done”, White said.  

By making these updates, hoping to raise the spirits of the North Hall residents, RD Ray White is aiming to increase the popularity of the building among students on campus in terms of social life. 

“The biggest change that happened was the North Hall basement. When I came here it was used essentially for storage” Ray White said. “This is a massive space where I think everybody deserves to either feel comfortable to stay if they want a new place to hang out with friends and study or something where [students] want to be social.” 

While rumors about North Hall continue to spread around campus, there are improvements actively being made throughout the building to ultimately change students’ minds about the oldest residence hall at Pace.